aIr
by AcceberRider
Summary: I came to Tokyo searching for answers. Finally I find someone who can help me. To get his attention I'll have to draw him out...and then try to keep him from killing me. It may be hard to match The Black Reaper, but I will not lose, not without knowing...
1. Chapter 1

Mission 1

The slow, grating sound was familiar to me now. A hard, unbearable sound, something that would make most people cringe. The knife was like a weight against my numb hand, but I was finished. That was all that mattered. I felt a sense of relief as I straightened and observed my work.

The small, rough circle that I had carved into the ground was imperfect. It was my signature, the price I had to pay for my abilities. No matter where I was, after I used my powers I had to carve a circle into the ground. If I waited too long I would start to feel anxious and my body would shake. Was that what happened to the other ones, or was it just me? All I knew was that even if I had to dig through a concrete road with my bare hands my remuneration was a small price. I heard of people who would have to burn themselves or drink living blood. My compensation was a small price indeed.

I placed the knife back into the small pocket I kept just for it. I would never fight with it unless necessary. With my ability I preferred range. Most times I even killed unseen. My new alias was Futame Arashi, no, Arashi Futame. I had to start thinking Japanese. Here I was in Tokyo, my birthplace, and yet… I had never lived here. I never would. My home was wherever I could find information. I was my own master and to keep that title…all I had to do was not exist.

***

"EEEEH? Is that so??? My bad, my bad. I thought you were from that stupid plumbing company," the already annoying woman said as she roughly patted me on the back. "Come on in son, we'll get you fixed up soon enough."

Some time later I found myself in front of a shabby door that read 202. If I had of been my former self I would have sighed and dropped my shoulders, shaking my head in disgust, but my current self knew that there was absolutely no point in doing so. Sometimes I was glad for my sense of calm logic. I went to put the key in the rusted hole when a slight click to my right alerted me. I turned my head and regarded the man who stood in front of the door next to mine, watching me with a curious look.

His hair was straight and black, his eyes a flat, dull blue, almost as dark as the night sky-well- the former sky. There was nothing too remarkable about his appearance at all, unlike my dyed red hair and my gold-brown eyes. I had gone through a faze where I decided crimson coloured hair would be "cool". I realized now that I was an idiot for even considering that. I would have to change my hair as soon as possible. My mind, returning to my current situation noticed the man extending a hand.

"Hello. I'm Li Shen Shung. Pleased to meet you." I shook his hand and smiled almost naturally. "I haven't seen you before. I assume you just moved in," he asked, his friendly face betraying no suspicion.

"Yes. I was actually just about to enter the place for the first time. Oh! Almost forgot,

my name is Arashi Futame," I pretended to catch myself, to act like an average, human kid. This guy didn't seem much older than me once I thought about it. Couldn't be far into his twenties. I was eighteen, not that age mattered.

"Eh…Arashi-san, then. Pleased to meet you," he said again.

"Right, erm…"

"Li is fine," he said kindly.

"Li-san then! Nice to meet you!" He smiled again and then looked at me almost apologetically.

"Well I have to be at work soon…"

"Ah, I understand. See you later then Li-san."

He gave a small nod and walked past me, waving slightly. As soon as he was gone I resumed my usual apathetic facial expression. Pointless emotions were tiring. I had used to use them everyday carelessly… Did I miss that? I was finally able to open the door and look into my small apartment. It was more like two open rooms and a bathroom, but I wasn't complaining. All it was was shelter. I left immediately after I dropped my things and headed out the door.

***

My hair was a dark, chestnut brown now. The red hadn't mixed well with the black dye, but at least I looked much less conspicuous. I had spent the entirety of the day scoping out the city and so far I didn't have any leads. What exactly was I looking for?

"Idiot," I whispered to myself. "You should know that much at least…"

As I reached the shabby apartments I noticed that it seemed my new neighbour Li Shen Shung hadn't yet returned. Maybe following his example would be the best idea. Even if there was no point in going out again, there was no point in moping around either. I turned around and began to head back into town.

When I reached an empty park I stopped. Something about the lonely swings drew me. It was as if they would become complete if only someone would make use of them. Ten minutes later I was leaning back on one gazing wistfully at the stars. Which one was mine? As that question flitted through my mind I became aware of a presence. When I turned my vision to my front I was met with the sight of a frantic woman, running straight at me. I felt surprise, but it was a rational kind. I acted quickly, doing a back flip off of the swing before her concealed blade burst forth and swung at the air my throat had recently occupied.

Her vacant eyes bulged with anger. "Die!," she cried, lunging for me again.

'I must kill. I have to kill a human…" Suddenly her eyes glowed a fierce red and a pale, blue light faintly surrounded her. Several leaves on the ground became rigid and shot suddenly into the air, their edges becoming sharp as knives.

"Contractor," I exclaimed to myself. Finally. All at once the leaves flew towards me and dodging them all was impossible. I winced as their razor-sharp sides cut into me, drawing blood from my arms, my torso, my face. The woman's face lit up with a sick glee.

"Hehn heuhn heuhn… Now die…Die for me…" She was deranged; there was no doubt about that. I had already figured by now that killing a human must be her remuneration.

I decided to burst her mad bubble.

"That must be a tedious remuneration," I said. "Killing a human every time you use your power…" Her face dropped and she stared openly at me, something livid flicking behind her eyes. She at least had enough sense to realize that normal people didn't know about contractors.

"You…You're….."

"That's right. I'm about as human as you are. Now, do we really want to continue this little game? How about you calm down and answer a few questions for me?" There was no response as the woman continued to gape at me. Suddenly, so suddenly I almost didn't see, a new presence joined us.

He was swift as lightning and as quiet as a ghost. He came down from the trees overhead, his black cloak falling around him in an effortless elegance. His masked face told no secrets as his right hand came down onto the woman's face. A moment later there was a blinding light and a wretched scream and the woman lay dead at the black clad man's feet, her face frozen in an insane horror.

I had no time to react, to hide myself or flee. The black hallows in his mask were turned on me in an instant. The only rational thing I could think to do was stare in mute wonder. I knew who he was. I had heard rumours. The Black Reaper, the one you might vaguely call my idol, or maybe just the man I wanted more than anything to speak to. If anyone had the answers I was looking for, he did.

Before I could decide what to do he was behind me, his hand on the back of my neck and the second I decided to spin around and face him with all my power a quick jolt shot through me and I felt myself go limp and then lose consciousness.

***

When I woke again I was lying on one of the park benches. There was no sign of what had happened, but strangely enough a small, sharp knife lay on the ground beside the bench. It was my own. I found myself shocked completely. He had set everything up to look like all of it had been a dream and I –had what- injured myself? Those small details however were not what left me amazed. What I couldn't believe was that he'd left me alive. The only rational thing to do would have been to kill the only witness, yet…

I chuckled softly to myself. Finally I had something to work with. I knew just how to find the answers I was looking for now. All I had to do was draw out the Black Reaper.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you everyone for your favs xD This is my first serious story, so I'll try not to let anyone down... Please R&R. I love advice, so if I mess something up, feel free to point it out.

I own nothing...sadly...except for Arashi-chan.....yh, I made him up.

___

Mission 2

When I opened my door the next morning Li Shen Shung was in the process of walking by. He stopped and turned to look at me, a strange expression on his face before he broke into a smile.

"Good morning Arashi-san," he said. "How was the first night?"

"Once I actually got home it was decent enough. I may have to buy a futon though, now that I think about it," I replied easily.

"Ah. I see. Were you out late Arashi-san?"

"Yeah. Fell asleep at the park…Man I was tired." The expression on Li's face was hard to read. He was staring at the bandage I had wrapped around my right arm, then he turned his gaze to the plaster on my face."

"Were you in an accident? Are you alright?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah, I'm fine. Can you believe I fell asleep with a knife in my hand? One minute I'm digging the dirt out from under my nails, the next I'm waking up covered in cuts and scrapes." I grinned in what some would call a sheepish way and Li responded with what others would call a look polite people use when they're slightly disgusted.

I laughed, the humour strange on my tongue. "I'm just fine now though!"

"Heh…," Li nodded. "Well…," he said, glancing at the sky.

"Work. See ya then Li-san." He nodded graciously and left once again. When I was sure he was gone I pulled my mask up over my mouth and nose and made off to start my day.

***

To most people the strange gusts of wind or sudden stillnesses in the air were described as a random change in weather, but to the other people, the ones who died that day, and the next and the entire month following, the unexplained occurrences were anything but random weather. When the contractors got involved and they started to notice the small circles carved into every crime scene they confirmed their suspicions that a contractor was responsible.

When the month was finally worn so was I. All my work had, so far, amounted to almost nothing. There had still been no sign of The Reaper and I was growing impatient. As I mulled over what to do next in my mind I also let myself enjoy the cool, city, night air. I sat high up on the top of one of the many skyscrapers. Getting there hadn't been a problem, not with my power being that I could manipulate air in almost any way.

The night seemed calm, the remains of a fresh rain still rested on the city. I took the air deep into my lungs, it seemed so much more pure up here…or maybe I was making it that way. The air caught in my throat as I suddenly felt a chill fly down my spine. I turned quickly to see what looked like a small observer spirit disappearing from a puddle behind me.

I jumped to my feet, but he was already there before me, brandishing his double bladed knife in an eerily fluid way. I bent backwards until my head was nearly level with my ankles and I quickly let my foot snap forward as I balanced myself on the heels of my hands. He was quick however and was able to evade my counter attack, leaning back ever so slightly before moving immediately back into the offence.

I grinned, though my mask hid my face nearly as well as his did and I professionally let myself fall, pushing off from the edge of the building with my palms. As I plummeted the adrenaline that coursed through me was overwhelming. I almost cried out in excitement, but no. Getting worked up was hasty and stupid. If I wanted to accomplish my goal I would have to act rationally, like any contractor should.

He made his way down the building almost as fast as I had, though where I used the air around me as a cushion he let some sort of grappling wire fly and swung himself back onto the ground. I didn't wait for him; instead I took off, heading to the perfect place…

I had found it a week or so back, an old abandoned warehouse, resting just on the waterfront. It was wide and empty, with high beams spread across the ceiling. Against the walls were forgotten pieces of equipment, and crates lay strewn everywhere. Half of the roof was missing, making for a perfect entry way. If I could choose any one place to face The Black Reaper, that warehouse was definitely it. So I led him there.

It was a struggle losing him enough that I could arrive there first. He was fast. Even with the help of the wind, pushing him back he was able to keep up with me. As excited as I felt, which I shouldn't have in the first place, I knew that if I wanted to get my answers I would first have to defeat him. That was a new challenge all together.

I leapt into the air and positioned my hands downwards. With a blast of air I went soaring up onto the roof of the warehouse. His grappling wire flew right past me and hooked onto the warehouse just as I landed. I didn't hesitate as he proceeded upwards. I jumped from the roof and landed inside, my mind already three steps ahead of me. When he entered I was already well hidden and there was no water around for his doll to find me with.

The Reaper was tense, his knife in hand as he pivoted slowly, observing the area around him. It was inventible that we would have to fight. After all the mess I'd caused in the past few weeks I was trouble and he had been sent after me to finish me for good. Of course, Reaper or not, I wouldn't let him get that far. Still, maybe I could get him to talk a bit before he tried to murder me…

"I've finally drawn you out," I said in a casual voice. "I thought I was going to have to do something rash, like blow something up. They finally sent you." He was still, listening to my words, but he wasn't foolish enough to act right away. One of my many talents was throwing my voice. Easy enough for me. To him it sounded as if I were all around him at once. The echo of the empty warehouse aided me as well.

"What are you after," he asked in a soft, low voice. I could tell that he was getting close to locating me and when he did I would want to be ready.

"Strangely enough I only want what everyone is searching for," I replied. I didn't know why I had the urge to toy with him. The most reasonable thing to do would be to tell him what I wanted and whether or not he answered me, act accordingly. Whatever that meant. When I thought about it, maybe I just really wanted to see what he was capable of. I was only waiting for him to show me.

"What would that be?" You could always tell that a man with a soft voice was more dangerous than one who shouted when he was out for blood. One who could control himself was calculating, rational, serious. His voice was almost a whisper.

"Answers." As soon as the word had left my tongue he was suddenly right in front of me. I sent him back with a gust of conjured wind. I had been prepared, but that didn't surprise him. We were both on a higher level than your average contractor and we could both tell that about each other. Fighting with him was like a dream.

It was as if we could sense the other's moves just before he attacked, like we were performing a dance that had been practiced, revised. I moved forward, a glove of condensed air around my fist and he leaned back, somehow twisting his body to swing his leg around low to the ground. I jumped over it and let the air take me towards the starry sky overhead. He swiftly moved back until he was under the roof again, and then shot his wire upwards. This time however I was able to break the consistent flow of our battle dance.

I sent a wave of wind hurtling towards his wire, causing it to fly back, jerking his arm and catching him off guard. As he tried to regain his balance I moved forward as quickly as I could and raised my hand to knock the very breath out of him. Then…

His hand was at my throat. I was frozen in an offensive position, not daring to move even one muscle. He had anticipated this. I was the one who had been fooled. I could already feel the deadly current thrumming through his glove, under his skin. I had about a tenth of a second to react before I felt the initial jolt that would have meant my death, but I had acted quick enough. He released me and clutched at his throat as my trap came into action. I could still feel the electricity that had entered me for so brief a moment that any time more than what I had acted on would have been fatal.

I moved backwards slowly as he jerked, trying to reach me, but the barrier around him was strong and the space inside was completely devoid of air. The sphere of wind that encircled him whipped furiously, causing the warehouse to nearly tremble from the sheer force. I watched as The Black Reaper lost his footing and collapsed, desperately trying to breathe, to move. I felt tired. My mood had darkened considerably. I had no intention of killing him, but he was no use to me unconscious and I really didn't want to bother with the trouble of capturing him, then trying to hold him captive. I could already tell that I would fail at trying to do something so foolish.

I sighed and let the barrier drop. The Black Reaper was still, his head was turned to the side and it almost seemed as if the black holes in his mask were glaring at me. What idiotic thoughts. He was unconscious.

"Good job Reaper. You won this one, whether it seems it right now or not. I guess we'll settle this next time. Bye." As I turned around I noticed a pair of bright, silted purple eyes staring at me from the shadows. I paused, momentarily disturbed.

"You're going to leave him?" A deep voice resonated from the darkness. Oddly enough it seemed to emit from the same place the eyes sat, glowing at me.

"Yes. I still need him," I responded as if nothing were out of the ordinary. The disembodied voice chuckled.

"Wait till Haung heres this…" I stood in the silence for another moment before continuing my departure out a door that was rusted shut (until I blew it apart). When I took a minute to stop and look out over the water I felt something like…what did it matter…? I bent down, my knife in hand and began to carve a circle into the rough stone under my feet.

***

The next morning as I left to go into the city I noticed the light's out in Li Shen Shung's home. I supposed maybe the innocent student was one for all nighters.


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you so much for the reviews and advice and everything else. This chapter is a little slower, but please enjoy it all the same.

I own nothing...except for Arashi. He's mine.

___

Mission 3

The first thing I decided was that I needed a well deserved break. I had achieved my goal of drawing him out. Weeks of killing people could take a lot out of a person. As I was thinking about that I came to the conclusion that I did not miss regret. That was one emotion I was better off without. It wasn't as if I couldn't feel it at all. I was simply able to react accordingly to it.

One emotion I was feeling however was satisfaction. I had faced off against the one person I had wanted more than anything to meet. I had won, but I took no pride in that. Looking back I could tell that something had been off with The Reaper. He hadn't been fighting to his normal standards. Was it that he didn't take me seriously? No. He knew better than to underestimate an opponent at first glance. Well whatever the reason, I was sure that next time I faced him would be soon and with much less provoking.

It's difficult to be a contractor and not always be lost in thought. A dark look will cross your eyes regularly and unless you're really emotionally skilled, it is hard to not be glaring all the time. That's why when I glanced up to see Li Shen Shung walking towards me with his head down I felt a small shock before I was able to put on a smile and raise my arm to wave.

"Li-san. Hello there." When he looked up his face was, for a split second, a mask of almost pure, raw, frustration. I blinked and suddenly he was smiling, his eyes closed and his mouth turned up in a hesitant, but friendly way. I wondered to myself if I had really seen what I had imagined.

"Good morning Arashi-san." He stopped before me and raised his hand in front of him in greeting.

"Headed back home are we," I questioned. "I noticed you weren't there this morning. So what was it? A party? A daaate," I teased. I was almost satisfied when his eyes widened and he began to wave his arms in front of him.

"No, no. Nothing like that."

"I see." I gave him a sly look. "It's alright Li-san. You don't have to say a word." Li only sighed, a small smile on his face.

"Well then," he began and I knew he was about to leave again. It seemed to me that Li Shen Shung wasn't one for prolonged conversations. I was just about to let him go when a voice startled us both.

"Li-kun! Li-kun, how are you?" Li turned around to regard a slim woman with long brown hair and sharp glasses. She was in a blue suit and her face was decorated with a bright smile.

"Ah, hello," Li said, rubbing the back of his head in an awkward way.

"I, um…was just wondering…If you're not busy, maybe…" The woman was struggling to say something. It didn't take a genius to figure out she was interested in Li Shen Shung. She seemed to notice me staring, because her voice suddenly became clipped and professional. "Would you like to go out for breakfast with me Li-kun? If you're free that is. It's my treat." Her straight face dissolved into a warm smile as Li "erm'ed" and "well'ed".

Finally he gave a little nod and said: "Sure Kirihara-san. I would like that."

"Good. So, who's you're friend?" Li turned back to look at me. His expression told me I had been momentarily forgotten.

"Oh, this is Arashi-san. He moved in next door a little while ago."

"Arashi Futame," I said, extending my hand.

"Kirihara Misaki," the woman replied with a small smile. "Pleased to meet you."

"Yeah," I replied. Li stood between us, an ever present smile in place.

"Well, I guess we should get going then, Li-kun," Kirihara said curtly.

"Ah," Li replied simply. "See you later Arashi-san," he said.

"Bye. Nice meeting your girlfriend." Both of their faces became as red as beets and Kirihara grabbed Li's arm and dragged him away with a somewhat strangled: "Bye!"

Once they had disappeared from my sight I was left with nothing to do, but wander at my own leisure. For some reason my feet ended up taking me back to that same park. A small girl in a black and purple dress sat idly at the top of the slide. Her face held no expression, so it was impossible to read her emotions. She turned her head as I entered the park, but only regarded me for a moment.

A bigger man, reeking of smoke, a cigarette sticking out of his mouth and a newspaper curled under his arm moved past me without making eye contact. The girl's eyes followed him until he left the park. I sat down on a bench that wrapped around a tree and stared up at the sky. There was barely a whisper of wind today.

I heard a small sound and looked to see the girl standing up from where she had slid down to. Once again I was intrigued by the lack of expression on her face. As she made to leave a thought struck me. Maybe the girl was a doll. It was a long shot. She could just be a silent, unhappy kid, but then again…

Once I was sure she was a fair way down the street I stood and began to follow her. I stayed quite distance behind her at all times and never made myself conspicuous. She led me all the way to a small tobacco shop. When she entered I took up position nearby and observed the shop. I stayed there until dark. When I finally figured I could learn nothing at the present time by being there I decided to leave.

As I turned to go I heard a deep voice speaking quietly. I stopped and listened, not moving a muscle. I recognized the voice. I let my eyes slowly slide over towards the shop, leaning ever so slightly from behind the post that had been concealing me. Sitting on the counter in front of the shop was a black cat, with a bell around its neck. Its mouth moved with the sound of the words and its big, purple eyes were fixed on the girl within the shop.

I watched intently. The cat was definitely the voice that had spoken to me the previous night. That only led me to believe that the girl inside was the doll that had spotted me on the rooftop. I had to be certain though.

"-so with that in mind, be on the lookout for-MEOW," the cat cried loudly as I stepped up to the shop. He hopped down from his spot and slunk away. I pretended I hadn't just seen a talking cat and leaned in over the counter.

"Hello there," I said with a friendly grin. "What kinds do you have here Miss?" The girl regarded me with her apathetic eyes and quickly began to list off the brands of tobacco. As she droned on in her monotone voice I glanced behind her and was pleased to see a large pail of water sitting on the floor. "Uh, never mind. I don't need anything after all. Sorry." I pulled back and started to walk away. As I passed a nearby alley a pair of cat eyes watched me pass.

***

The dawn was grey. I liked grey dawns. No bright oranges or pinks, yellows or purples to welcome you into a new morning. Grey was calm. I liked calm. I was lying on my back on top of the same building I had rested on before. Maybe it wasn't a good idea returning, but I didn't really care. I liked the view. At least I had sense enough to be wearing my mask.

When I felt as if I were being watched I almost expected to turn to find The Black Reaper standing over me, but instead I looked back at a black cat, with a bell around his neck.

He stood in that elegant way that cats do, his eyes fixed on me. I sat up and stared at him.

The silence became almost annoying.

"Here kitty kitty," I said, rubbing my fingers together as if to beckon him. His fur bristled and he stepped forward with a sharp: "Hurumph."

"Oh," I acted surprised. "It speaks."

"Just what the hell kind of contractor comes back to the scene of his first appearance," the cat questioned me. "There's no rational reason what-so-ever to do so." I put my hands behind my head and resumed my former position.

"I like it up here," I answered. The cat scoffed. "What are you doing here Kitty-chan?"

The cat went rigid and made an annoyed sound in the back of his throat.

"I was merely taking another look at the scene. It's what you do during an investigation. It's not like I knew you were going to be here."

"Well then you should go to the warehouse. I picked it out myself." The cat moved to stand over my head.

"Just what are you after," he asked.

"I suppose if anything…" I left my sentence trailing. Sure, I was going to release all of my confusion onto a cat, even if he was a contractor. I stood suddenly, causing him to jump back in surprise. "Well, bye Kitty-chan."

"Eh!?"

I moved over to the edge of the building, my hands in the pockets of my sweater.

"W-Wait!" With a small wave behind me I jumped lightly off the ledge, like one jumping into a puddle and let gravity carry me down to the street below.

When I reached the apartment building the old landlord was doing some early morning sweeping. She looked up and gave a nod.

"Morning! Not up to any trouble were you?"

"Not me," I said with a shake of my head.

"Aw, sure! I know your type boy. You better not be trying to pull the wool over my sharp eyes!" I shook my head again with a little smile. "Well then," she broke into a friendly grin. ", don't let me keep you all day. Go on. Shoo." She made gestures with her broom and I gladly obliged.

Entering my small living space was like entering my memories. It was as if the door clicking shut behind me was a cue to commence the reminiscing. I didn't enjoy memories. In fact I rather hated them.

As I moved towards the window where a small picture frame was resting something white caught my eye. A small piece of paper was folded under the frame. I removed it and flipped it open. My eyes widened as I read its contents.

**VI-714**

**SKYSCRAPER**

**12:00 AM**

Somehow someone had found me. They knew where I lived. They knew my code. They even knew my most frequented spot. Whoever they were…I couldn't wait to meet them.


	4. Chapter 4

Now if my translations are correct (which they may not be...) Arashi means storm, where Futame means harmful. So Arashi Futame would mean Harmful Storm. I think it suits Arashi-chan.

I would like to thank **the Invisible Author** and **Dear4Life** for your inspiring reviews after each chapter. xD I really like how this one turned out, so I'm eagerly anticipating your opinions. Thank you, enjoy!

Mission 4

"Damn." I felt a cold emotion wash through me, something that had been building for the past three hours. I was angry, not to mention confused. There couldn't have been another skyscraper my mysterious messenger had in mind? Another 12 am? It didn't seem likely. So then…, where the hell were they?

"I don't like this," I said to myself. "Why call me out and not show up?" Were they toying with me? Was I being watched at that moment? It didn't make sense. The only thing that seemed normal about the situation was that I was seriously pissed off.

"Fine," I said out loud. "I'm leaving." I turned to go, waiting for something. Anything. No one answered. No one tried to stop me. I swore and leapt from the building. As disappointing as the experience had been… I returned the next night at midnight. And the night after that.

It was almost two weeks later that I was finally visited up on my skyscraper; however it was not by my messenger. It was shocking how surprised I was to see him, The Black Reaper appearing behind me in his white mask. I had been too preoccupied with my situation to recall what I had been looking for in the first place. The fact that I had wanted to search for The Reaper had completely fled my mind.

Upon seeing him and realizing my stupidity I was filled with an intense rage towards myself. How could I have forgotten something so crucial? Was I really **that** pathetic? Had I let so much of my wit go? I stood up and faced him, but my body and mind felt exhausted. I had no desire to fight him. Not tonight. I cursed myself again for giving up so easily.

"VI-714," he addressed me. "What are you after?" The same question. The exact same question. Was it really that important? When he tensed I realized that I had asked the question out loud.

"Is it because you don't understand me? You can't judge my motives? Well we're in the same position. Who knows what I'll do next?" I wanted to hit myself. What the hell was I talking about? I felt so tired. My resolve was virtually non-existent. After only a couple of months I was reduced to something this pitiful.

"I guess if I had to tell you what I was after…it would be the same thing I said to you before. I want answers."

"What answers," he responded quickly.

"If I knew that then I wouldn't need to ask questions, now would I?" I could tell that I had stretched his patience too thin. He lunged with his blade and I wasn't ready for him. My movements were slow-no- his were fast. Faster than before.

For the billionth time I found myself falling off of the familiar building, my body knowing just where and how to land. I straightened and was instantly caught off guard. The Reaper was already there beside me. He lashed out at me and sent a jolt of electricity into his attack. I cried out as I felt the current rush through me. I was thrown back into the wall of the next building, but he did not pull back there. His hand came up and caught me across the face. I stumbled right into his knee as he raised it and caught me in the stomach. With the breath knocked out of me I crumpled onto the ground at his feet. He stopped and looked down at me. That was his mistake. In his one moment of hesitation I was able to send a blast of air straight at his face. He dodged, which was lucky for him. The force behind my blow would have snapped his neck, but now I had the footing I needed to fight back.

He moved immediately into the offence again and I dodged all of his attacks. We were progressing into an ally, which was not a good place for a fight. Most alleys in this city all seemed to be comparable to the space between two close parallel doors opened simultaneously. The space we fought in was no wider then both of my arms spread out. This was a great advantage to me however. There was finally a break in his relentless attack and I used this chance to condense as much air as possible into the narrow space before sending it all out in a massive blast of wind.

The Reaper was thrown clear across the street and into the building opposite. It was understandable, seeing as I had hit him with the force of a small hurricane. With a power this flexible, though, it took quite a toll on my own body. I was breathing heavily and I could feel my legs quivering beneath me. As for my opponent: he was unmoving, his body heaped on the ground.

I released a huge sigh and began to move towards the reaper. When I reached him I felt the air change before he acted. I jumped up and his hand closed where my ankle had previously been. After a quick moment of relief I realized that I hadn't escaped his trap entirely. In one fluid movement his weapon came hurtling up towards me. I was unable to dodge in midair and the blade sliced deep into my left arm.

I landed opposite him and fell back onto my skyscraper for support. I held my arm, biting back the pain. There was a lot of blood seeping out of my body. I glared at him before throwing up my right arm and blinding him with another blast of air. By the time he was free of it I was already far over his head, propelling myself towards the next street over.

Unlike the silent street I had just been on, this one was much more lively. Late nighters and party goers crowded the streets. Colourful lights flashed from every corner and the constant hum of the city at night filled the air. It was the prefect place to blend in. That is, it would be if I weren't trailing a river of blood. Hiding in the shadows was only going to conceal me for so long.

I decided the only rational thing to do would be…

The pedestrian didn't know what hit him. Actually it had been me, but all I had done was knocked him on the head. He'd be fine in an hour. Not that it mattered. I dragged him into the darkness of a dead-end alley and quickly stole his jacket. Having done that I made hasty work of binding my arm in my own sweater and hiding my wound under the unruined fabric. I immediately decided I looked horrible in orange. I wasn't about to complain though. I pulled my mask off and shoved it into my pocket. With both of my bloody hands hidden, my wound undetectable, and my hair straightened out a bit I looked like any average kid, out for a late night.

The jostling crowd nearly caused me to give myself away, but I didn't even wince as I was pushed this way and that. Trying to keep a lookout for The Reaper while also trying to keep my wound from bleeding through my jacket was stressful, especially when I became distracted by the sound of sirens. Most people continued on their way, but some people stopped and watched as a cop car slid onto a curb nearby and a woman and two men jumped out. The woman was familiar. I remembered seeing her before.

"Yes," I heard her say into the phone in her hand. "Both VI-714 and BK-201 have been reported as active in this area. We're on the scene now." With a slight shock I remembered meeting her before one day with Li Shen Shung. So she was with the police. I thought that knowing this the best thing to do would be to not linger. I walked right past her and began heading in the direction of home.

I arrived there without being intercepted, so my alias, I decided, must still be unknown to The Black Reaper. My losing him had been lucky on my part. Any other way and I might have revealed myself accidentally. I leaned against the door to my apartment and glanced up at the fake stars. It was undeniable that they were beautiful…

There was no way I was going to let myself fall so far again. Forget the stupid message. My goal was to find my answers and the one I had chosen to answer them was BK-201, The Black Reaper. I promised myself that from this night on I would not stray from my path.

"Oh?" I jumped and turned to my right quickly. Li Shen Shung was looking at me, surprised as I was one hand on the rail of the stairs. "Arashi-san? What are you doing out so late?" Despite the fact I could ask him the exact same thing I answered with a friendly smile.

"Just watching the stars."

"It's a nice night," Li said coming up beside me. I turned my body ever so slightly to hide the blood that was slowly seeping through my jacket. He didn't seem to notice. As long as he didn't come around my other side…

"You like the stars too Li-san? Even though they're fake," I asked, making the reasonable assumption.

"But they're not fake," he said, his eyes fixed on the dark sky. "They're just not the same." I watched him out of the corner of my eye. There was something deep in his expression.

"Yeah," I answered seriously. "That's right. We stood there, just looking at the sky for a longer time then I would have expected. When I finally made it into my apartment something in me felt better than it had before. I felt almost…happy.

***

I was beginning to really like Li Shen Shung. As dangerous as it was I felt we were almost becoming…friends. We seemed to meet outside our doors nearly every day, sometimes more than once. Li was not somebody who was hard to find in a crowd. He would pop up everywhere, not to mention the multiple jobs he was somehow supporting. I'd seen him at a local ramen shop, the batting cages, a pet store…it was almost unbelievable. No matter where or when I ran into him however, we always seemed to find something else that we had in common. Like the stars. We both liked the stars.

It was one day that I was headed to the nearby mall that I literally smacked into him and landed us both on the ground, him with a bag of groceries scattered everywhere and me with some nice, fresh, hot coffee in my lap.

"Ak!"

"Sorry, sorry! I'm very sorry," he apologized as he lifted his head to look at me. "Ah. Arashi-san…"

"Ow, ow, ow, ow…hot. Man! My pants…," I moaned as we both stood up and exchanged nervous laughs. I cursed myself just as Li's eyes slid over to my arm. I had made an effort not to use it when I stood and had afterward massaged it from habit.

"Is your arm alright Arashi-san," Li asked, concern etched into his features.

"Yes! It's just a bruise. Nothing you did Li-san." He _had_ been the one with his head down. An uncertain look crossed his face.

"I feel really bad. Maybe I can do something to make it up to you?"

"No need Li-san. Everything's fine. I wasn't paying attention either. Too bad about all your groceries though…" Li had a blank look on his face before looking down at the strewn produce and exclaiming: "Oh! That was only dinner." A sheepish smile crept onto his visage. I stared at him in disbelief. That much for one person…for one meal?

"How about I treat you to lunch," he asked kindly.

"Uh. No, that's fine. It wasn't really your fault." The look he gave me made me feel like I'd kicked a kitten.

"I feel really bad."

"Well…er…Why not, then? After all you offered," I said, wondering why I'd felt guilty about refusing him.

When we reached the small buffet I nearly choked on my food when I saw the amount he collected. We managed to have a nice conversation, despite how awkward we both seemed. When we (he) had finally finished we placed our empty dishes on the table and slid out of the booth. On Li's way out he managed to bump my arm with more force than I imagined anyone else could have mustered and I slipped, crying out quickly.

"I'm sorry Arashi-san!"

"No. It's fine," I said shortly. I looked over to see him staring at me, his eyes worried, but something beneath that set off my internal alarms. I could almost sense that Li was hiding something, some deeper emotion. I thanked him for the meal and made my way back home.

On my way I walked past a black cat, sleeping on a wall. I recognized the bell around its neck and something about my previous encounter with Li and seeing this particular cat so close to home sent a chill down my spine. Could Li…could he know? If he knew about my wound, and he suspected who I was, then could that mean that Li was actually…

My mind was overworked. It seemed like I was jumping to conclusions. Who said Li even knew anything about my wound? Maybe he really had bumped me by accident. Maybe I had imagined that look behind his eyes. Maybe…

Ding… The barely audible sound of a tiny bell followed me all the way home.


	5. Chapter 5

Le tme first say that I am so sorry I haven't uploaded in a while. I ws caught up in the hollidays...besides that I have no excuse. *shaaaaame* This chapter is pretty suspensful and the plot is finally starting to develop, plus I've revealed a new vital character. Hopefully some of this will make up for my lazyness..... Any way, please continue to R&R. I hope you enjoy this. Thank You!

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Mission 5

I was being followed again. I could sense the eyes on me. It had been like this for a couple of days now, ever since my slip up with Li. I had accidentally let on about my injured arm and now I was being followed everywhere I went. It didn't mean that Li had anything to do with it. Someone else could have just as easily noticed if I had already had a tail on me. The only thing that seemed to feed my suspicion was the fact that I was seeing that strange, talking cat everywhere: the same cat I had first encountered in that warehouse after defeating The Black Reaper.

There was no difference in the way Li treated me so far however. The last couple of times I had seen him he'd acted the same as always, nothing to suggest he was watching me. Damn, I caught myself thinking of Li Shen Shung again. Why was I so obsessed with the idea that he might be The Reaper? It was just a silly thought that kept coming back to me. He did seem the same shape and height. His hair looked identical…Then again there were most likely many people with slim bodies and black hair here. I had nothing to go on. There was no reason to even pursue the idea.

I stopped outside the small coffee shop I had begun to call my "home away from home". It was also where I was now employed. I had to pay the rent somehow. I inhaled the rich scent that wafted from the place before pushing the door of Last Stop Coffee Shop open and walking in past the big chalk board that told all customers about our deals and specials. A young lady with straight black hair and narrow eyed looked up from behind the counter.

"Arashi," she hollered in a vexed tone. "You're late!" I glanced quickly at my watch. I _was_ late…by three minutes.

"Sorry, sorry," I said half heartedly. There really wasn't any way to please the woman. Haruki Arisa wasn't the happiest of people and she liked to take her anger out on others, especially her employees. I moved slowly into the back of the store to put on my lovely cream coloured uniform with its matching hat. When I remerged Haruki gave me a look that said "get to work **or else**" and stalked in back of the store to her office, to sleep no doubt. I watched her go and then yawned, already too tired to stand. Last night had been a late one.

People flitted in and out in random intervals. The shop was never packed, never too busy. I spent some time recalling just how uneventful my life had become over the past few days. Knowing that I was being followed the only thing I could do was lay low. I would make my move to meet the Reaper again later, after I was able to move freely again.

"A small with six cream an' five sugar."

"Alright, coming right up." Some people's taste disgusted me. After nearly six hours I decided to approach Haruki-san about a break. I pulled out a small sign that informed the customers that I would be back in two minutes and cautiously made my way back to where her office was. I knocked lightly at her door. When there was no response I knocked a little louder.

"Haruki-san," I called softly. The door wrenched open and I looked upon a half asleep Haruki Arisa.

"Huh?"

"I was only wondering if I could take my break now…" The look she gave me was frightening and she was silent for a minute. She looked at her watch, then looked back to me. I waited patiently, but her gaze continued to bear into me. After a minute passed I realized that something was wrong.

"Haruki-san?"

"…" I let my eyes slide slowly over to where a clock was situated on the far wall. The seconds were ticking away. I felt a small jolt of shock and I immediately regarded the woman again.

"Haruki-san!" I took her and made to shake her, but no matter how hard I tried I could not budge her. She was as stiff as stone.

"What the hell is going on," I asked myself aloud. I slowly turned away from her and walked back out into the store front. What I saw there made my heart leap into my throat. Every customer was frozen and unmoving, but standing in the middle of the store, an unearthly, blue light emitting from her was a young girl. Her wavy, auburn hair seemed to float slightly and her large, amber eyes stared vacantly into space. They had a red gleam to them. She turned her head ever so slightly and looked straight at me. I immediately felt myself freeze. I couldn't even draw a breath.

"Verloren," she breathed. Her voice was thin and strained. I could see some deep pain in her eyes as she moved towards me. I wanted to speak, to call out to her. Why was she keeping me trapped in this immobile state when all I wanted was to answer her? "Ver…loren." Her slim hand reached up and cupped my face. She leaned in close to me. Her skin was cold as ice.

Suddenly the door burst open and the spell was broken. Everyone resumed what they had been previously doing. The clock in this side of the building ticked on as before. The girl was gone; no trace of her was to be seen. I stood, still frozen in shock. Could that really have been…. I was awakened from my thoughts when a familiar face appeared before me.

"I didn't know you worked here Arashi-san." I regarded the friendly face of Li with a blank stare. I felt an emotion churning in my gut. It was one that would be best not to act on. I was angrier then I could have imagined at the site of Li Shen Shung. If he hadn't of walked in, maybe I would have known, maybe I would have found my answers finally.

"What will it be Li-san," I asked politely. Haruki Arisa never got back to me about that break.

***

SMASH. I banged my fists into the wall, denting the weak plaster slightly. I winced as pain shot up my arm. It wasn't completely healed yet. "SHIT!" I punched with my good arm and repeated the action for good measure. "Why? Why the hell were you there?" I slid down the wall and buried my face in my knees. For someone who was supposed to have a good handle on emotions I was doing a pretty lousy job. I leaned back and stretched my feet out in front of me on the empty floor of my apartment. I felt like an explosion had gone off in my heart. I couldn't believe how much pain had come from seeing her again. After all this time, thinking she was dead. I knew she'd been here. It was the only place I could go to look, but if she was alive, what had I been looking for?

Did he know? Did The Reaper know that she was still here? I had no idea, but at that moment I decided that I would find out what I wanted to know. That night. I heaved myself up and left my apartment. I was tracked by the cat again and when I finally lost him I was able to pull on my mask and head for the park. The girl with the unseeing eyes was there as I expected. She had been for many nights. I had no doubt in my mind that she was a doll, his no less. I don't know why I was so sure.

I walked straight up to her, sitting on that round bench. Her head lifted slightly in response. "Where is he," I questioned. She looked up at me, but did not say a word. "Where is he!?" I grabbed her shoulder and shook her.

"Yin!" I turned to find the cat leaping towards us. I let go of the doll as he landed at my feet and glared. "What point is there in you being so elusive," he snapped at me. "You are the one with the questions, yet you keep evading us or running away. Just who are you and what are you looking for? This is your final chance to tell us!"

I stared at the cat with cold eyes. He had a point and I didn't like admitting it. Why couldn't I say it before? Why couldn't I find the words? "Dawn," I said finally. I saw the cat's purple eyes widen at the name. "You know about Dawn, don't you?"

"You…," he started. It seemed like he was at a loss for words. I felt a small pleasure inside, knowing that I'd chosen the right people to come to after all.

"Hei." The small girl's voice was unexpected, but as soon as she spoke I was moving. The Reaper landed in the exact spot I'd been standing, his knife crackling with electricity in his hand. The masked face was lowered, but when he raised his head and looked at me his body followed the movement and I was dodging before thinking. He swiped out at my face with the blade and caught my attention and with his other hand he grabbed onto my injured arm and pulled it back behind me. I bit back a cry and suddenly there was his knife at my throat. I didn't dare move. I could feel the hard metal pressing into my skin, his grip on me was crushing. I knew that I only had seconds. He was about to kill me.

"Hei! He knows about Dawn," the feline called. The pressure on my throat weekend for a split second. There was a silence. "Hei…," the cat said again.

"I know," the reaper replied quickly. He deftly switched his grip on me so that he had one arm around my chest and another on the back of my neck. The jolt sent a wave of white-hot fire through me and I felt everything shut down before I lost consciousness.

***

"_Ver. Wake up silly. What are you doing laying here? You'll catch a cold."_

_I opened my eyes and she was standing over me, her bright, auburn eyes gazing at me with amusement. "What have you done to yourself this time," she laughed._

"_What do you mean," I said sitting up and rubbing my eyes._

"_Look at your hair stupid. Why is it all red?" I laughed at her._

"_Because I want it to be red." Her face scrunched up in an awkward expression. _

"_I dunno. It'll look pretty silly when your roots start growing back in." She grinned and punched me lightly on the shoulder as we sat there together on the green hill, looking up at the night sky._

"_Eve," I said looking over towards her. _

"_No," she responded in a flat voice. "I told you already you can't call me that anymore. I've forsaken that name."_

"_But E-… Dawn. It's not the same."_

"_No Ver. Nothing's the same."_

"_Don't come back here Ver."_

"_You know I can't just let you walk away. You know I…"_

"_Goodbye Verloren. I…"_

"_Did you know…," her childhood voice spoke to me. "Did you know your name means lost?"_

"_Yeah," I answered. "Mama did that on purpose. She said that's all we are."_

"_Well you aren't lost anymore."_

"_What do you mean Eve?"_

"_I've found you." Her smile…imprinted into my mind, still as clear as day. Even after all these-_

The sound of a door slamming made me aware that I was conscious. It took several moments to remember how to open my eyes, but once I'd succeeded I realized there wasn't much to see. I was in a small dark room. The only light was what was seeping in through the window. It looked like it was dawn… I felt the familiar pain in my chest as I thought of dream...

I lifted my head and noticed that there was someone standing at the far end of the room, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. Besides the chair that I was tied to the only other furniture was a beat up looking sofa. The man crossed the space and collapsed onto said sofa with a sigh. I noticed the mask, which immediately made me notice that mine was missing. Dammit.

I waited for what seemed like an eternity before The Reaper finally rose and walked over to me. I stared into his mask, my eyes betraying no emotion. With nothing to lose I decided it was worth the risk...

"Li-san," I said more than asked. He remained silent, not moving a muscle. Finally his hand came up and pulled the mask free from his face. I regarded his cool dark-blue eyes without feeling any surprise. He threw the mask behind him and continued to stare down at me in that deadly way. When he spoke I heard the voice of The Black Reaper and not the friendly façade I had come to know.

"What do you know about Dawn?"

"I don't see why that's any of your business." His hand came to my throat in an instant and I was met with a rather unpleasant shock. I couldn't keep from choking out a cry. His cold eyes bore into me with such a frightening intensity. Contractors are rational beings. We know when not to hold our tongues. Any contractor in my position would feel no need what-so-ever to hold anything back. For some reason though, the thought of him knowing about Dawn was more frightening then the thought of losing my life.

"Kill me if you want," I said. "The only thing that I care about anyway is the answers you're not going to give me." His hand did not move from my throat, but when I glanced into his eyes I saw something there. He released my neck and stood back.

"Ask then," he said. I felt my eyes widen in spite of myself. Maybe things could still work out after all.


	6. Author's note of despair Sorry!

**To all of my readers:**

**I AM SORRY. I DO NOT THINK I WILL CONTINUE THIS STORY FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS:**

**. I have grown bored with it.**

**. I am suffering an imense writer's block, trying not to make characters seem too OOC**

**. I am lacking in willpower**

**. I'm a lazy ass**

**So if anyone is greatly offended by this (unlikely) I AM VERY SORRY. With time, maybe I will find my old love for this tale, but at the moment things are on standstill. Thank you to anyone who bothered to read up to this note (in the chapter 6 space) and to all those who reviewed.**

**Thanks to: _Dear4Life Vanehei the Invisible Author Shion Kogawa Thea and _****Steve_ Newben_ for your reviews, advice and praise.**

**Once again. So sorry! I hate leaving things unfinished, but I just can't seem to continue. **


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